Hello Friends! I knew this would be the case, but...Let's be hopeful that our new I.G. would be sincere enough to ensure that his directives are implemented.Barely 10 days after the Acting Inspector-General of Police, Alhaji Muhammad Abubakar, banned police checkpoints across the country, policemen have returned to checkpoints in Lagos.The Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, which is notorious for its endless traffic snarl before the IG’s pronouncement, has also returned to its former state as a result of extortion of money by policemen.Punch's correspondent noticed that the policemen returned to the checkpoints at the Ojodu Berger by-pass on the expressway on Tuesday.When Punch's correspondent visited the area on Wednesday, traffic on the Berger end of the road was at a standstill. It was noticed that the policemen had set up barricades in their usual fashion to ensure that each of the two lanes became tight for vehicles to pass through.A motorist, who identified himself simply as Alhaji Azeez, said he observed that the policemen did not collect money from commercial drivers during the day.“They start collecting money from the drivers immediately it is dark. I think they are trying to be smart about it so that the authorities will not know their activities,” he said.Another motorist, Mr. Jide Adetayo, said the return of the checkpoints confirmed the fear that nobody could successfully ban them in the country.He said, “Not many people actually believed the ban was going to hold because there have been such pronouncements by former IGs in the past.“It has always been like this, only a sincere IG can ensure such a ban takes effect.”It was noticed that while some checkpoints on major roads had been dismantled, the policemen have shifted to major streets. Such a checkpoint is noticed at nights at Ojodu/Isheri area, not far from Agidingbi Junction.Another checkpoint is noticed every night around the Freedom Park, Ojota. Punch's correspondent noticed that the policemen are members of the Highway Patrol.A commercial bus driver, Ayo Anifowose, told our correspondent that the targets of the highway patrol policemen are commercial vehicles.The driver said, “These people make a lot of money from us. I don’t think it would be easy for them to stay away from the roads because of the money they collect from commercial drivers.“I just hope the IG will do something about it if he sincerely wants to make a change.”Abubakar had while ordering the dismantling of all checkpoints said, “The Anti-Robbery Squads have become killer teams, engaging in deals for land speculators and debt collection, while toll stations in the name of checkpoints adorn the highways with policemen shamefully collecting money from motorists in the full glare of the public.”When the spokesperson for the state police command, Mr. Joseph Jayeoba, was contacted, he said the command was not aware policemen were back on the road.Jayeoba said, “The public should know that they have the right to lodge complaints with the police authorities if they see such checkpoints or if the policemen are extorting money from them.“The problem is, most motorists would not want to lodge complaints because most of them have uncompleted vehicle particulars. If we receive such complaints we will take a step immediately.” Courtesy Punch Newspapers.
XOXO
Simply Cheska
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